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What Mirrors Reveal About Us And
God
What do relationships, the
Word of God, and the sky have in common? They are all mirrors. Read this
message, and you will discover the particular roles each play in our
lives.
The Bible mentions three specific mirrors - relationships, the Word of
God, and the sky. Two of these mirrors reflect a man's character; the
other reflects God's nature.
Let's study each Scripture and see what the Holy Spirit will teach us
through His Holy Word.
Proverbs 27:19 - "As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man
to man."
What is the significance of our relationships? Actually, they tell us more
about ourselves than we may want to know.
Just as there is a similitude between a man's face and its reflection in
the water, even so is there a similitude between one man and another in
relationships. What this means is that we oftentimes see a reflection of
who we really are when we enter into relationships with others.
How many parents will testify to the fact of seeing themselves in their
own children. Oh! We are not talking about the physical resemblances. What
we are referring to here are the various character dispositions that are
reflected in our children. We may notice a short temper, a stingy
disposition, a rebellious spirit, a strong will, a know-it-all attitude; a
passive, indifferent, and slothful characteristic; an outgoing mannerism,
etc. and respond with this remark - "Oh! He is just like his Mother!" or
"She takes after her Father."
Many times, we find ourselves disciplining our children for a negative
trait, only to afterwards realize that we ourselves have the same fleshly
characteristic.
What about our marriages? What do they say about ourselves?
Before being married, we may have had no problem with control,
manipulation, or selfishness per se, simply because we were single and did
exactly what we wanted to do without any interruptions. Then, in married
life, we find that we cannot get our own way and do our own thing. We have
a shared life now.
In our marriages, we are often faced with a reflection of ourselves that
we don't necessarily like to see. We may see a picture of ourselves as a
person who has a propensity to yield to the flesh rather than the Spirit.
We may even see ourselves as a person who will go to whatever measures to
get his or her own way. This deceit in our hearts did not manifest itself
until another party was added to the picture of our lives.
What about our other relationships in ministry, in the Body of Christ, on
the job, or in the community?
God has a way of placing us in fellowship with people who are totally
opposite of us. At times, we may have attitudes surface from our hearts
that are so unChristlike that we never imagined were in us. We see a
reflection of who we really are if left to ourselves.
The mirror of relationships is vital in our spiritual growth. As we daily
look into this mirror, we calculate our weaknesses and our strengths and
realize exactly where we need the grace of God for change and growth.
2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
James 1:23 -24 - "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he
is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man
he was."
As we see our "spots," "blemishes," defects, faults, imperfections,
deformities, and "hangups" reflected in our various relationships, where
can we go to find help to change?
God has made provision in His Word.
Both the Apostles Paul and James referred to the Word of God as a "glass"
or a mirror. The mirrors they alluded to were those used by the Jews,
Greeks, and Romans which were made of highly polished metal. Just as one
would look into the "glass" and see his reflection, even so one is able to
see himself as he really is in the Word of God.
Sad to say, many today do not allow the Word to be what it actually is - a
mirror. It seems as though some preachers place a veil or covering over it
whenever they get into their pulpits.
If the "whole counsel of God" was preached as it should be - in a plain
and straightforward manner - the general populace would see themselves as
they really are - many of them "adulterers and adulteresses" more in love
with this world than Jesus.
For indeed, the Word of God is a "looking-glass," and if preached
correctly, it exposes every spiritual spot, blemish, deformity, and
imperfection on men's souls and leads them to run to the altars, crying
out to God for the Grace to change.
Conversely, what we oftentimes experience is a smugness and a hardened
security from some who are convinced that they are just fine the way they
are - backslidden and worldly as ever.
The amazing feature of this "glass" is that it not only has the ability to
reveal the marked differences between us and Christ, but it also has the
ability, in turn, to develop in us Christlike qualities which can be
measured out from one level of "glory" to another. This is all
accomplished by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
Hence, we can confidently say that the more we expose ourselves to the
mirror of God's Word, the more "glory" will be seen in our lives as we
allow it to transform us and conform us to the image and likeness of
Jesus..
Do you have a desire to be more like Jesus? Do you want your life to
reflect the life of God unto others? Do you want Self to be eradicated in
your life? Then, by all means, give yourself to a constant study of God's
Word.
Job 37:18 - "Hast thou with Him spread out the sky, which is strong, and
as a molten looking glass?"
Elihu asks Job the question - Were you with God when He stretched out the
great expanse of the sky? Did you assist Him? Did He ask for your
expertise when carrying out this vast project?
Even though the sky is made up of fluid, it seems firm, solid, and compact
- "strong."
It appears to be "as a molten looking glass" - smooth and polished - where
we find the image of God so reflected through the mighty galaxies.
Each day, it is as if God looks into the mirror of the sky, and we see the
reflection of His glory - whether it be at the time of a breathtaking
sunrise or at the event of a majestic sunset. Throughout the day, the
clouds entertain us with their many shapes and sizes. Against the backdrop
of the night sky, the stars and the planets twinkle and glitter so
melodically as if to sing us a song about the Mighty Creator. The Sun runs
its course at daytime, while the moon keeps its position at night.
Through this gorgeous panorama of Creation, we see a picture of the Lord
Jesus, unlike any other, which sends us a continuous message, asserting
that He is the God of all Creation Who has everything under control. He
has all power in heaven and in earth, and there is nothing too hard for
Him.
Relationships.
The Word of God.
The Sky.
These are three things that we are exposed to every day.
They are mirrors in our lives.
Two of them show us up for who we really are.
The other gives us a clear-cut picture of God.
The question we must ask ourselves is - What are the mirrors that God has
placed in our lives reflecting about our character?
Are we pleased with what we see?
Most of all, is God pleased?
What will we do about it?
Do we believe that God is able to change us from "glory to glory"?
Just how BIG is our God?
May God Bless His Word.
Connie
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